This nostalgic treat starts with Mr Magoo making a grand entrance to a play that is Charles Dickens Christmas Carol. The story is well known by all....with a slight Mr Magoo spin. There are songs throughout the journey as he is taken to view life past, present and future to see how things would be if he was still a cold hearted scrooge at Christmas. The animation is great for the 60's and there's many songs that make this children friendly. There is one thing I think I caught, a guy snorting opium? Of course, it could have been aspirin too....Hilarious. You wont see that in animation today.
PQ
By far, this is the best this has and probably will look. The picture is awesome, no dust, spots, scratches.
AQ
Very good audio track, level throughout, I didn't have to adjust the volume in the movie up and down. That's always a plus
Packaging 5/5
I was very impressed with the packaging. When you open it up, the bluray is in a folded case in a nice, very heavy slipbox. Inside the slipbox is of course the bluray disc (with the DVD), a 10 er so page booklet with loads of information on the movie, and a nice photo of Mr Magoo, stamp signed. Overall, bravo on the packaging.
Extras
I haven't tried the extras yet, but the site reviewer named them all. I'm really looking forward to viewing the audio commentary.
Summary
This is a nostalgic piece of Christmas History. Anyone who knows of Mr. Magoo should have no reservations about purchasing this collectors edition. The PQ, AQ and packaging are all top notch. Those looking for a bit of animation history, that is light-hearted and with a few songs added in, should give this a look. A runtime of 52 is just about right. A price point of ~$10 is the sweet spot. Enjoy!
Vince Lombardi High School has quite a reputation: it's the wildest, most rockin' high school around! That is,
until a thug of a principal, Miss Togar, comes along and tries to make the school a totalitarian state. With the...
Rock 'N' Roll High School is all about teenagers bucking the system of school and rules...all they want to do is rock and roll, have sex and party. It revolves around a girl (PJ Soles) who loves the Ramones and will do anything to get tickets to see them in concert. There are extended music scenes in the movie, so those that don't like this type of music, probably wont enjoy the film. There is one scene that is totally schlock Corman that I just have to mention and it's the one with the girls in the gym...of course it was the bra-burning 70's!
PQ
The picture quality is not great, but it does the job. There are speckles and spots throughout the movie but it doesn't take away or distract from the film itself. Considering this is a low budget film, the print looks the best I've ever seen it. No DNR here, film grain is in-tact! Good job Shout Factory!
AQ
The audio is in it's original 2.0 mix, so don't expect a mind blowing experience...however what you will get is a faithful representation of it...and it does the job just fine.
The packaging once again is superb with this release. There is color art on the disc, a booklet inside the bluray case and art behind the leaflet. Very nice presentation.
Summary
If you love Corman schlock films of the 70's and the teenage rebellion / anti-establishment theme sounds good to you, give this one a shot. The acting is a bit cheesy and so are some of the sub plots, but PJ Soles does good job of being the bubbly high school teen who is infatuated with the Ramones. Recommended!
Sony Pictures | 2002 | 97 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Nov 09, 2010
Small-town guy Longfellow Deeds goes to the big city to collect a $40 billion inheritance from a long lost uncle. Living in a palatial mansion with the services of an unusual personal valet isn't too bad. Things get even better...
Mr Deeds is an odd movie about a nice small town guy, who inherits 40 billion dollars in stock from his uncles company who meets a rather humorous death. Deeds moves into his uncles place where he meets a butler who is expertly played by Turturro...one of the funniest characters in the movie. This ordeal changes his life to the point where he's just sick of all the creeps in city who are greed driven. He meets a woman (Rider) who is pretending to be interested in him to get the story for the extreme news channel she works for. Do they end up together? Does he keep his millions and the company?
Deeds is a feel good movie about a nice guy, treating people with respect and most importantly, life is about helping others. I really enjoyed the simple fresh feel this movie had. Sandler and Rider do a great job acting and Buscemi has a funny role that should be mentioned.
Picture Quality
I was very impressed with the quality of picture. The MPEG 4 transfer looks fantastic for the age of the film and the budget. Fans will be impressed as this is an upgrade over the DVD.
Audio Quality
Very good audio track, not much else needs to be said that the site reviewer hasn't already elaborated. The DTS track is good and you don't have to constantly adjust the volume level up and down.
Summary
Those who enjoy Sandlers earlier movies may want to give this one a try. It's a simple story, touching and heartfelt, yet at the same time funny. At $7.99, you can't go wrong with this purchase. Recommended.
In the year 2000, hit and run has become the national sport. It's a no-holds barred cross-country race, in which
the aim is to kill off not only your opponents, but as many pedestrians as possible. David Carradine takes on...
This movie stars a very wooden David Carradine and an unintentionally funny Stallone. The movie starts out with a few introductions, including setting up the infamous Frankenstein driver - the driver who is supposedly made of extra people parts b/c he's been in many crashes. The meat of the movie is really pretty simple, drivers are driving across country in a "Death Race" that mainly gives points for taking out pedestrians....reminds me of the old Interplay game "Carmageddon!" Women, Men, Children, Elderly are all worth different points and the driver who returns first with the most points wins the race. There are stop overs in various cities where we do get to see the softer sides of the navigators...There are some pretty cool gore effects and kills that make up for any lame scenes however.
Video
Compared to the other Shout Factory releases, I thought this was the weakest I've seen. Scratches and pops throughout, uneven transfer....can be distracting at times. One scene in particular when Carradine beds down the navigator, it starts with both of them (clear), cuts to her (soft, grainy, dark), then cuts away (clear again). Very uneven.
Audio
Nothing to write home about, but it's pretty even throughout, didn't have to keep bumping it up or down
Extras/Packaging
Comes with a decent amount of extras. The packaging is impressive to me again. Color art on the bluray disc. A nice film booklet in the case. top notch!
Summary
This movie really hasn't aged that well. The acting can be very bad...but it is a fun movie to watch if you like Corman and his other cheesy movies he's either directed or produced. Recommended for cheesy horror fans!
In an alternate reality, it's 1985, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday
society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is
permanently set at five minutes to...
I've seen this 3 times now completely through and each time I find I pickup on something I never saw the first time. This set differs from the director's cut in that it has the animated feature "Tales of the Black Freighter" interwoven through the movie just like the graphic novel.
If you are a fan of the graphic novel and liked this movie, go out and find this collection. The extras included are phenomenal and it also includes the motion comic bluray.
Fans will not be disappointed! Pick this up, b/c as of now it's OOP, however it can still be found in some FYE and Best Buys.
20th Century Fox | 1999 | 113 min | Rated PG-13 | Region A (locked) | Feb 13, 2007
When a priceless Rembrandt is stolen in New York, the evidence points to a solitary master
thief (Connery), who is about to meet the insurance company's most cunning - and seductive -
investigator (Zeta-Jones). Following a...
Entrapment is a good late 90's film about insurance agencies and cops tracking down professional thieves. Of course you know it has Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones and both of them do a knockout job on the screen. The story is pretty simple, Connery takes on a new partner Zeta Jones and the team up to perform one of the most dangerous thefts attempted and it revolved around the Millennium. There are plot holes and obvious flaws in how things play out...but turn your brain off and just have a good time watching this.
What I like about this movie is that the camera doesn't shake around like current light action movies. The movie does feel like it held back a bit to get its PG-13 rating and may seem very tame compared to current movies in the same genre. What you will get is a good story, excellently acted by the cast and a satisfying ending (which seems to be rare in todays films).
Video
The video seems a bit soft, but this is a big improvement over my older DVD. Worthy of the upgrade.
Audio
The audio is a bit better...the DTS track does have some punch to it. A nice upgrade from the old DVD.
Extras
Very light here, nothing but the trailer and Audio commentary.
Summary
If you are looking for a lighter-hearted movie, with on on-screen chemistry and a good story that will entertain you...look no further. This is a well crafted movie, despite a few minor flaws in the story and plot - if you're willing to forgive them...you'll be entertained.
On the remote planet of Xarbia, a scientific experiment has gone horrifically wrong. An experimental life-form known as Subject 20,” created by an elite group of scientists to prevent a major galactic food crisis, has instead...
Forbidden World isn't going to win you over with superb acting, deep story or edge of your seat action. But it will be one of the most unintentionally funny movies dealing with 'space horror' that you've seen. If your reading this and are interested in this movie, then you probably know that Roger Corman produced many low budget schlock films and this is one of the better ones. If you love cheesy, low budget scifi horror (with some decent gore) and some nudity...then this sort of thing IS your bag baby!
I watched the theatrical release, which is short, only 77 minutes. The story starts out with a tough guy coming to a space colony with his robot pal, to help some scientist. These scientist created a monster with gene manipulation and now it's on the loose. They must work together to figure out how best to kill the monster with what they've got. I must mention that this has one of the strangest shower scenes I've ever seen. Very interesting.
Video
The video was a bit disappointing. I noticed many scratches, speckles and even a cigarette burn in the top right corner for the changeover. It's very uneven...scenes with the cast appeared to have been cleaned up more than other shots. Not the best transfer, but it is serviceable and it appears to have gotten better as the film progressed...either that or I got used to it. I'm sure this is the best this low budget film has ever looked.
Audio
Nothing to write home about here. The audio is ok, the DTS 2.0 never really packs a fantastic punch.
Extras
This is loaded with extras. One of the coolest things is that they included a DVD copy of the Unrated directors cut...the runtime is listed as 82 minutes. I will be editing my review after viewing this cut.
Packaging
Shout Factory does it again...The Bluray disc has color art printed on the disc itself, art on the back of the insert and the best part...the movie has a small booklet with some film information...all in color. Very well done presentation.
Summary
You guys know what you're getting into with this film. It's one of those, it's so bad......it's good, flicks. The sets look horribly cheap, the blond actress looks more wooden than the Hayden Christensen...but I loved it. Have a good time with this one.
Chasseurs de dragons
Phase 4 Films | 2008 | 80 min | Rated PG | Region free
| Jun 23, 2009
Zoe is a little girl who believes in fairy tales. Not because she is naive, but because she likes
fairy tales. So in order to help her uncle Lord Arnold get rid of a terrible dragon, Zoe decides
she has to find some heroes....
Indescribable beauty - Dragon Hunters is a visual treat
Dragon Hunters - a simple story about 2 friends who hunt dragons, one of them is the brawn, the other is the brains...and possibly a bit evil minded as well. The story begins with the duo finding their way in castle, pretending to be knights, to gain a large purse of gold if they slay the dragon that has blinded the king and causing the world to destruct. So begins the adventure into this mesmerizing world unlike anything I've ever seen.
The story is simple and short, but effective. The mystical world is fantastic and every background pops out of the screen...it really is that gorgeous.
The video is reference quality, eye popping visuals will leave you breathless. The audio is the same, both are fantastic representations of what bluray can do.
This isn't a pixar quality story...but those looking for something different should really check this movie out. At a price point of around 10 bucks, it's a great deal.
In the distant future, the crew of the starship Quest is dispatched to the barren planet of Morganthus to search of the missing crew members of the starship Remus, which has crash-landed there. Instead, they encounter something...
Galaxy of Terror Review - James Cameron worked on this? Yep!
Movie
A space crew has been called to perform a rescue mission. You have the standard crew types here as well, guy who shoots first - asks later, a crystal ninja star thrower (Sid Haig), the old captain, the hot girl, the creepy autopsy guy (Robert Englund), old cook....etc. If this is starting to sound cliche...it definitely is, but this movie does deliver entertainment on a low budget 1981 level. You can draw stark comparisons to the more recent Pandorum and Event Horizon in terms of story...and probably more.
The cast is very recognizable...along with the 2 mentioned above, the ever recognizable Ray Walston (Mr. Hand from Fast Times). It must be mentioned that the blond in the movie has a scene that blew my mind. It really must be seen to be believed. Never have I seen something like that before - which makes it worth the price of admission...if you know what I mean.
In Summary, if you like 80's low budget, unoriginal scifi movies with some great gore effects, sub-par acting and if you want to see an early movie James Cameron worked on, then give this a shot. I, for one absolutely had a great time viewing this flick.
Video
Overall a great video transfer...lighted scenes seem very clear, a fine layer of grain is present throughout...night scenes do have more grain at times...so the transfer can seem uneven. Good job though, I'm sure this is the best this movies ever looked
Audio
Not a bad DTS 2.0 track, does the job...nothing to complain here. This is no reference disc however.
Packaging - Shout Factory really impressed me with this...The Bluray disc has color art printed on the disc itself, art on the back of the insert and the best part...the movie has a small booklet with some film information...all in color. Very well done presentation.
If you like Corman Produced movies, you owe it to yourself to pick this up! All others will probably be satisfied with a rent. Me, I'm happy to add this to my collection.
Daughters of Dracula
Blue Underground | 1974 | 88 min | Unrated | Region free
| Mar 30, 2010
This English-made horror thriller is the story of two female vampires who hitchhike along a deserted highway in
the English countryside, luring unsuspecting drivers to their gothic mansion for a night of passion - followed by...
Cult film given quality treatment from Blue Underground
Blue Underground delivers a solid bluray with Vampyres.
The Movie is about 2 ladies who are lost soul vampyres that are living in an old mansion. They lure their victims by asking for a ride and ultimately end up feasting on them. When you see the ladies, you can see that the men didn't have much of a chance, their haunting beauty always beckons a 'sure I'll give you a ride'. The story revolves around that basic plot premise, one man who seems to stick around longer and a couple out camping near the mansion - who keep peeping over curiously at the mansion and it's inhabitants.
Make no mistake, this is a cult / erotica film. There is plenty of nudity, a few sex scenes and a bit of violence thrown in. This makes for a perfect 70's cult film night, as many probably haven't seen it. The film is UNCUT and contains all the juicy bits. Those looking for a slower paced movie with sex appeal and a great climax will not be disappointed.
Video
The PQ of Vampyres is not perfect but it's not horrible either. There is a nice layer of grain throughout, a few issues with black scenes, and some speckles...but considering the source and if you've ever watched other low budget cult movies, this looks pretty darn good.
Audio
offers up a 7.1, 5.1 EX and 2.0 mono. I found it was definitely serviceable. I didn't have to increase and decrease the volume throughout the movie.
Extras
Offers the audio commentary and an interesting interview with the 2 ladies. Highly recommended after you watch the movie. One of the ladies toured with Iggy Pop, which I thought was interesting. Check out the interview...I wish it would have been a bit longer. Excellent.
Something horrendous is happening in the sleepy fishing village of Noyo. An aquaculture experiment has gone very wrong and the results-fish-like humanoids- are rising from the sea to spawn their vengeance.
Awesome Corman Classic - 80's Cheese at it's finest
Let's all be honest here. We know what we're getting into when someone views Humanoids from the Deep. It's a 80's shlock film, filled with bad acting, incredible circumstances and an over the top finale. And I enjoyed every minute of it. If you decide to add this bluray to your collection, you'll get a great 80's cheese horror film filled with gorgeous women and gore moments that are outstanding. But hey, that's what you wanted right? Some nice topless shots and excessive blood for a late night double feature on a stormy night?
The PQ is great. There is a layer of grain throughout - however that doesn't take away from the picture. A few short scenes are heavy with grain but those are fleeting.
One point I'd like to mention is the artwork in and on the bluray disc. The disc has a nice color picture of the movie poster on it. The artwork inside the disc and behind the case are also nicely done. I was very pleased with the presentation. No Eco-case either. Another +
Highly recommended for those that love those old 80's cheese horror films. You won't be disappointed! Especially if you're a MST3K fan.
Porter’s a ruthless thug who goes after what he wants with a vengeance. After he's been double-crossed by his partner and wife, he wants some "payback" for the betrayal he's endured and the money he's owed. However after Porter...
I recently imported this bluray from the UK and viewed the theatrical cut. It does have both director's and theatrical cut on one disc (US version only has directors cut). Overall this is the best the movie has ever looked, a vast improvement over the older theatiercal cut DVD.
For those that have not seen it yet, think of this movie as a film noir thriller that plays out like a gritty crime graphic novel. Every scene seems like it was lifted from a comic strip. Gibson does a great job as Porter - the man who really has nothing to lose and will stop at nothing to get what he deserves. Porter is a man on a mission - after being betrayed by his partner in crime and wife, he sets out to get his cut of dough and only his cut. Lucy Lui and Maria Bello play great roles in this film as well.
Picture Quality - this is the best it's ever looked, the film has a nice blue tint to it and overall grain throughout the movie. The film is relatively soft throughout but I'd suspect that's really from the source material.
Audio Quality - I don't have a good setup for lossless, but I did import this disc b/c it has the TrueHD audio soundtrack - unlike the US version which only has Dolby Digital 5.1 (lossy).
Overall - this theatrical cut will seem slow to some who expect shaky cameras and non-stop action. However, if you are looking for something a bit offbeat, a gritty noir crime drama you could do worse than Payback. I'm a fan of the original DVD and am glad I imported and upgraded this one. Recommended!
First Look Studios | 2006 | 104 min | Unrated | Region free
| Nov 18, 2008
In the south of France, Jean, a shy young bartender, is mistaken for a millionaire by a
beautiful, scheming opportunist named Irene. When Irene discovers his true identity, she
abandons him, only to find that a love-struck...
We watched this the other night, not really knowing what to expect. As the other reviews has have said, go into it knowing that you wont know much about the characters in the film. It's a breathe of fresh air considering its competition. The romance in it is simple and the film doesn't seem to be held down by over the top sensationalism.
A very well crafted love story, Tautou sizzles on the screen in every scene she is in. Highly recommended and one of the best blind buys I've made.
A car dealer with a dodgy past and new family, Terry has always avoided major-league scams. But when Martine, a beautiful model from his old neighborhood, offers him a lead on a foolproof bank hit on London's Baker Street, Terry...
Bank Job Review - Good movie, more drama than action
This was a blind buy for me and I just watched the blu-ray last night. Overall the movie is a solid 3.5/5. The entire package is a 4/5. Lionsgate did a great job on the transfer, the picture looked great. I really don't have a great audio setup yet, so I won't comment on that part.
To me, the movie stayed in a safe zone and never really materialized into something that transcends above the average heist movie. Some of the dialogue and scenes could have been trimmed down. This movie is not as gruesome as other Statham movies, it's not incredibly violent - although the story line is of a mature nature and there are some nude shots in it. The action is light and we really only get to see Statham fight in one scene.
I liked the fact it was based on a true story about a few average guys trying to pull of a bank heist, it was like the average joe of Heat. Bottom line is, I like drama movies and I like action movies, knowing this movie has more tone to drama before going into it is helpful. I also like period pieces.
Like I said, it's a solid movie, it sets a great tone and has just enough suspense to keep you entertained, while keeping light on the action we may be used to with Statham.
I'll be keeping this blu. Looking forward to viewing it on my new setup in the future.
Top reviewer
